


Alone

by Lady_Lala



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:27:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24238048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Lala/pseuds/Lady_Lala
Summary: "I'd like to say that Fareed and I are the best of friends, but the truth is it's actually quite hard to get to know this fellow. He's brilliant, yes, but rather intimidating. Which is saying a lot, seeing as the chap is only eleven years old. He has the potential to achieve greatness but never seems to listen to those who could advise him.""Well, he is deaf, Scorpius.""Albus, you know that's not what I meant. Anyway, I think he's brilliant, just stubborn.""And completely mental.""Not helping. The point is, I know he's going to do amazing things, and make the world a better place if he so chooses. And who knows, maybe even make some friends along the way.""Pff! I doubt it!""Albus!""Sorry, just saying he's not exactly friendly.""That may be, but no one deserves to spend their school years alone, so let's hope he doesn't."
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy & Albus Severus Potter





	1. Train of Thought

**Author's Note:**

> Many many thanks for clicking! I have to admit, I haven't read Cursed Child or Harry Potter in a while, so my wizarding facts may be a bit rusty, but I hope you enjoy it! I'm trying to make it accurate as possible, so If you find anything terribly wrong and in hopeless need of correcting feel free to let me know! More importantly, though, I am completely clueless about deaf culture so please, I'm begging you, if you find anything that doesn't properly represent the deaf community, please tell me!  
> As Always-  
> Lady_Lala

Fareed made his way through the hustle and bustle of platform 9 and 3/4, as the two adults, who called themselves his parents, hurried after with various "Watch where you're going dear!" And "Here son, let me get that for you, it's much too heavy." Fareed was more than capable of lifting the massive trunk onto the busy train, and without so much as an "I'll see you soon", picked it up, hefted it onto the train, and dragged it out of sight, ignoring the tirade of "I love you son!"s that followed him. " _ Pitiful, _ " Fareed thought to himself, " _ how adults tend to worry and fuss over every little thing I do, as though they fear I'll drop dead at any moment. _ " He strode purposefully through the crowded aisles, ignoring the many hurried forms around him. Finding an open compartment near the end of the train, he walked in and set his trunk down by a window. Looking up, he saw two figures waving furiously at him, tears in their eyes motioning for him to open the window. He would do no such thing, of course. He didn't need that woman crying all over him as the man, trying to be strong, warned him of the big scary world. 

" _ I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. _ " Fareed thought as he lifted the massive trunk off the ground and, turning his back to the window, pushed it into the overhead compartment with little effort.

"Blimey! You bout picked that up like it was a feather!" said a small auburn-haired boy from the compartment across from Fareed's. "Do ya think you could give me a hand with me own?" The boy asked hopefully, but Fareed either didn't notice the small boy or, more likely, was ignoring him. 

"Oy! Earth to mister black-haired boy!" No response. Not to be put out, the small boy made his way to Fareed whose back was to him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hello, could you give me a hand with me trunk?"

Fareed turned around, annoyed, and fixed the smaller boy with his dark humorless eyes. A look that seemed to say, " _ I'm going to count to three, and if you're not out of my sight by then, you'd be better of without sight. Understand? _ " It was a look that often sent boys much older than him shuffling away awkwardly. But the auburn-haired boy, who stood in front of Fareed now, wasn't looking at him at all. He was too busy gesturing toward the compartment across from them and seemed to be going on about how massive his trunk was and how he simply couldn't get it off the ground. Fareed was thoroughly annoyed now, and looking from the boy to the compartment across, turned his back to him and sat down, closing his eyes.

"Now hold on a moment, mate!" 

" _ That boy doesn't give up, does he, _ " Fareed thought with annoyance as the other boy began prodding him on the shoulder. That's it, he'd had enough. Without opening his eyes, Fareed grabbed the other boy's hand and twisted ever so slightly. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked straight at the stupid boy who wouldn't leave him alone. His gaze was met with a pair of deep green eyes rimmed with thick lashes. They were shocked and slightly scared. Fareed felt a twinge of guilt as he saw the other boy's alarm but quickly shrugged the emotion away. " _ If you want to get anywhere in life, you can't be afraid to twist someone's arm along the way, so to speak. _ " Fareed thought grimly, " _ Or quite literally in this case."  _

"Gee, whiz! S-sorry _ didn't mean to be a nuisance. _ " The boy said, looking down as Fareed released his grip. "I-I'll be off now." And he shuffled off, rubbing his arm.

Fareed sighed and closed his eyes again. " _ Idiots, the lot of them, _ " he thought to himself, " _ I don't see how anyone could stand having one as a 'friend.' Uhg and these annoying things are the banes of me, _ " he thought heatedly. Reaching behind his ears, he removed two small gadgets and, opening the window, through them out onto the platform that was starting to speed quickly away. " _ Hearing aid? More like a headache! What's the use of hearing if you can't understand a sound of it? _ " he thought spitefully. Fareed got up and slid the compartment door shut, pulling the curtains closed as he did so. Sitting down, he leaned back on the seat and shut his eyes, concentrating on the train's rhythmic vibration.

When he opened his eyes next, he could see the landscape outside slowing down considerably and felt the vibration of many feet running up and down the aisle. He quickly changed into his Hogwarts robes, and when the train finally came to a grinding halt, slid the compartment door open and made his way out into the aisle following the stream of eager students to the doors.


	2. Was it Ever a Question?

"I hear you have to battle a great Oger to get in!"  
"That's silly, you need only cast a simple spell to pass."  
"Maybe if you want to be a Hufflepuff."  
This, along with many similar conversations, were whispered around Fareed as he was jostled by the various first-year students crammed into the small room.   
"And what, may I ask, is so wrong about that?" said the Fat Friar, one of the many ghosts gliding through the room. The small boy who had spoken jumped slightly when the Fat Friar appeared beside him. Fareed recognized him as the boy who'd bothered him on the train.  
"Oh! Er well, nothing, of course! I was only saying..." the boy's voice trailed off, but the Fat Friar merely laughed.   
"Don't worry yourself, my boy! Us loyal Hufflepuff's are often underestimated, but the truth is..." Fareed turned away from the group and leaned against the cold stone of a wall. Half closing his eyes, he scanned the many faces around him. To his left, a tall dirty blond boy was talking animatedly to a small hazel-eyed girl who seemed to be merely humoring him as she smiled and nodded. Nearby were three boys, laughing and talking with each other. A thin athletic one seemed to be boasting about something, while a second slightly rounder boy corrected the other's facts, and the third boy with curly black hair and olive skin listened and laughed. Then, of course, there was the large group of first years Fareed had left. About fifteen of them were led by the small auburn-haired boy, laughing, goofing off, and talking excitedly. None of them interested Fareed.  
Sighing, he closed his eyes entirely and blocked out the world around him. He allowed his mind to wander through the events of the past few weeks.  
"Fareed, dear, there's someone to see you." Fareed saw his mother hesitantly enter from the corner of his eye, and he looked up from his work. Ms. Paige was followed into the room by a spiky-haired woman with yellow hawklike eyes and a stern face. Fareed fixed his mother with a cold stare that seemed to demand an explanation for this interruption. "This is professor..."  
"Madam Hooch," the thin woman finished "and you must be Fareed."   
"Yes, but we call him Corbyn." Ms. Paige hurried to inform the stern woman. "That may be," Madam Hooch responded, "but the name on the parchment is Fareed, so that's what I'll be calling him if you don't mind." Then she turned her attention back to the boy in front of her. "Now, to business! It is customary for a Hogwarts representative to personally inform magically inclined muggle-born children..."  
"Oh, he's not muggle-born, ma'am." Ms. Paige interrupted, "See, Edmond and I are squabs, not muggles. But the grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, are all pure-bloods..."  
"Unimportant." The Madam said, turning to Fareed once more. "Either way, both your parents are unmagical, so Headmistress McGonigal has asked me to personally inform you that you've been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Attendance is mandatory; we look forward to seeing you..."  
"Erm, one moment, please." Ms. Paige again interrupted. "See, We weren't sure if he would be attending or not and..."  
"And why would there be any question, Ms. Paige?" The Madam asked, annoyed at the constant interruption. "Your son has magical potential, and quite a lot mind you, therefore he is to attend school. Simple as that. You yourself grew up in a magical household, and so did your husband. You should know the drill."  
"Well yes," Ms. Paige answered, "but..."  
"So, why would you question his attendance?" Madam Hooch asked, losing her patience.   
"We simply thought you weren't informed of his... limitations." Ms. Piage finished weakly.   
"I can't think of any limitations that could possibly prevent your son from learning magic." The Madam said exasperated, "Can you Fareed?"  
But before Fareed could say a word, the boy's mother thrust her hand into her apron pocket and hurriedly removed a pad of paper and pencil. She quickly scribbled something and offered it to Fareed. Accepting the paper from his mother, Fareed proceeded to crumple it into a small ball and tossed it into the rubbage bin without looking.  
"No, Madam, no 'limitations' come to mind," Fareed answered in a gentle, crisp voice.   
Madam Hooch gave a curt nod, "Well, that's settled then." She said and handed Fareed a large envelope containing the Hogwarts acceptance letter, additional information about the school, and what was expected of him, along with specific "accommodations" that would be provided. "Here is all the information you'll need along with additional instruction specifically for you. Oh, and the Headmistress made it very clear that the 'accommodations' mentioned are 'in no wise present for your luxury and ease.' We'll be expecting no less from you then from the other students. Understand?" the Madam asked sternly.   
"Was it ever a question, Madam?" Fareed responded, meeting the woman's hawklike gaze.  
"Very well, I'll be looking forward to seeing you this term." She turned to leave but added as an afterthought, "Hogwarts will have gained a great wizard if you chose to do well." And with that Madam Hooch spun on her heel and vanished.


	3. Great Oaf

The scene shifted, and Fareed was standing amongst the other students outside the castle. The doors were colossal by anyone's standards, but that was only expected of the most prestigious school in all of Europe.

"Alright, alright, stand back unless yer want'n ter get squashed. Ya hear!" It was that great oaf called Hagrid. The moment Fareed had gotten off the train earlier, the idiot had barged through the crowd of first years yelling, "out of m'way! Scooch! Let me through! I've got to get ter the 'special case' ya hear!" then, once the boy had been spotted, the giant figure had lumbered toward him and introduced himself.

"Me (pointing to himself), Rubius Hagrid..." The big man proceeded to explain himself, speaking frustratingly slow, using ridiculously simple words and accompanied by over the top hand movements.

Fareed couldn't understand a word of what the hairy face was trying to convey, and his face burned as many of the other first-years turned to see what the big man was going on about Among them was the auburn-haired boy from the train whos, when Fareed noticed him, ears instantly went pink. Face burning, Fareed briskly walked away into the crowd of first years, leaving the big man turning about trying to find where the boy had gone. Later on, when they had made their way to the lake, the hairy man, to Fareed's utter embarrassment, had found him again, and proceeded to overdramatically demonstrate what they were about to do. Miming the process of getting into a small boat and, with overly zealous vigor, illustrated rowing. The first years were all stifling giggles after the great oaf nearly fell into the lake. In an attempt to hide from the unwanted attention, Fareed placed himself behind the other students, putting them between him and the great embarrassment, Hagrid. This seemed to work well enough as the other students weren't quite sure why the great man was acting oddly. But some students seemed to grasp what was going on and for whose benefit. Fareed noticed the small auburn-haired boy's ears were turning a brighter shade of pink. Once Hagrid was done, they had floated across the lake and arrived at the giant oak doors.

"Out of the way! Out of the way!" the big man boomed. First years scrambled to get out of the way, shoving and pushing each other, including Fareed much to his chagrin. Finally, the massive doors swung inward.

" _ Great idiot, _ " Fareed thought to himself. " _ those doors don't even swing outward. What was the point of all that commotion? _ " Fareed was beginning to doubt this school really was prestigious. " _ After all, _ " Fareed thought, " _ if this great oaf made it in, anyone can. _ " Those doubts soon fled from his mind as he caught a glimpse of the great hall before him. Before he had a chance to examine the interior thoroughly, their attention was directed to a witch standing in the middle of the room. Fareed recognized her as the witch who'd visited him some weeks ago. Madam Hooch introduced herself and addressed the group of first years, but Fareed was too for back to see clearly. No matter. Any information concerning him had been included in the envelope hed received when the madam had visited. After a moment Madam Hooch led them into the small room, where they were crammed now.


	4. Houses

Fareed opened his eyes to find that the rest of his year forming a loose line leading to a small doorway. Not to be left behind, he walked quickly to join his peers as they made their way through to the massive dining hall. Four house tables stood in the center, decorated with their respective colors, and crammed with students eager for the sorting. On a small stage sat a three-legged stool with a tattered old hat atop it. A large rip at the rim of the hat opened like a mouth the old leather hat burst into song, or at least Fareed assumed it was singing, he couldn't hear it, of course.

"Welcome young,

Welcome old.

Come sit down,

Have your fortunes told.

You might be brave

Or maybe sly?

Just put me on

Now, don't be shy.

Don't be down if you're a Gryffindor,

Strong and brave, who could ask for more?

Don't regret getting Hufflepuff,

Hard-working, and kind; they're made of stronger stuff!

Disappointed you're a Ravenclaw?

With brains and witts, they leave all in aww.

Think you're above being Slytherin?

Ressorsfull and cunning might be the perfect house you're in.

Whatever fate you chose to spin,

A finer wizard they'd never win."

With that, the sorting hat went limp, and the hall burst into applause. Fareed noticed that the table with red and gold decor to the far left was especially rowdy, and they seemed to be clapping more for the excuse to be rambunctious then because they were actually pleased with the hat's performance. 

" _ I'll bet my wand those are the Gryffindors. _ " Fareed thought to himself. In contrast, the table with the green and silver decor on the far right merely rose from their seats and clapped politely, some students not standing at all. 

" _ And those must be Slytherins, _ " he noted, " _ Interesting. _ " 

Madam Hooch now stepped forward and faced the crowd of eager students and consulted a parchment roll. After a moment, a smiling blond girl with dazzling blue eyes walked forward and took a seat on the stool. Madame hooch placed the hat atop her head, and it promptly fell across her eyes. The hat's mouth opened once more, and a table with blue and silver decor greeted the smiling girl with respectful applause as she took her seat. Madam Hooch continued calling out name after name, and Fareed watched as the students were sorted individually. A pale blond girl went to Slytherin, and the small hazel-eyed girl found her home in Hufflepuff. The little auburn-haired boy jogged to the stool, grinning like a maniac, and the hat had barely touched his head before making its decision. The scarlet and gold table burst into applause as the grinning youth jumped off the stool and joined them, and they exploded with cheers and well-wishers. 

As the sorting went on, he watched as the large group who'd been talking earlier were sorted into there own respective houses, most ending up in Gryffindor.

Fareed waited expectantly as Madam Hooch continued to call out names, and the line slowly shortened. The professor was facing away from the first years, and as Fareed drew closer, he could just make out the various names on the parchment and quickly filed them away in his mind saving the information for later. Fareed spotted his own name on the list and watched as Madam Hooch's finger slowly made its way down the paper toward it. As the professor came closer and closer to Fareed's name, his heart began hammering against his chest in anticipation. Immediately he closed his eyes and willed his pulse to slow. Now was not the time to panic; all he had to do was put a dirty hat on his head and... how would he know what house he was put in? If the hat shouted out its decision, Fareed wouldn't know! He'd just sit there for an eternity with a filthy hat atop his head, looking like an idiot. 

" _ No!" _ he thought irritably, " _ Pull yourself together! The hat isn't as big as it looks, and it won't slip over your eyes with any luck. Just watch for the table that seems most pleased, that will most likely be your house. _ " he told himself. " _ But what if my house doesn't cheer when I'm announced? What if the hat does fall over my eyes? What then? _ " he thought, his heart speeding up again as Madam Hooch's finger was only a name away from his. " _ Oh, stop worrying, you're being irrational! Worst comes to worst, the professor will take the hat off for you and point to your table. _ " Fareed groaned inwardly, he'd look like a complete imbecile.

"Paige Fareed!" The finger had finally reached his name. Concentrating fiercely for a moment, Fareed closed his eyes, clearing his mind, and relaxing his pulse. Opening his eyes, he strode confidently forward and took his place on the seat. Madam Hooch smiled inwardly. The boy had been paying attention. Ordinarily, she didn't use her finger when reading, but Mcgonigal had asked her to do so as a way to see how resourceful the boy was. Pleased to see that the boy had also noticed her finger tracing and took his place on the stool the moment her finger found his name. Madam Hooch stepped forward and placed the sorting hat atop the Fareed's head then stepped back as it fell over the boy's face.


	5. Alone, it Means Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Scorpius and Albus!

" _ Typical! _ " Fareed thought spitefully as the hat fell across his eyes blocking his view of the room. " _ Just typical! _ "

"Oh, don't be such a sour puss, lad! I'm not that bad, am I?" Goosebumps erupted all over Fareed as he heard, actually heard, the hat's voice in his mind.

"Ah, surprised to hear me, eh?" The hat asked knowingly. "Ears aren't the only way to hear, boy."

" _ How is this possible? _ " Fareed demanded. The hat merely chuckled, and goosebumps again spread over Fareed as the sound seemed to reverberate through him.

"What can I say? Magic!" 

The boy's brow furrowed, obviously unsatisfied with the explanation.

"That answer is not enough for you, lad?" the hat asked, and Fareed could just imagine the hat raising an eyebrow. "An inquisitive mind is a positive trait for Ravenclaw..." it mused.

" _ Don't put me with that bunch of know it alls _ ." Fareed thought spitefully.

"Ah, but you've still got a good amount of pride, don't you." the hat chuckled. "A fair trait for Gryffindor."

Fareed inwardly scoffed. " _ I doubt any of those loafers ever worked a day in their lives! _ "

"Hmmm, perhaps not Gryffindor, then." The hat admitted. "You mentioned hard work, did you not? The Hufflepuff's are in no shortage of that, I assure you!"

No! Not Hufflepuff! He had enough pathetic relatives who'd all been Hufflepuff, and he was determined not to join their ranks. 

"Oh, don't be so quick to judge those loyal Hufflepuffs." the hat gently scolded, "You'd never find a more dependable family or hard-working companion!"

" _ That may be, _ " Fareed admitted, " _ but no amount of work can compensate for a gullible mind. _ "

"Very well, if it's not any of those, best be..."

The hat fell silent, and Fareed held his breath. A moment later, the voice was back in his mind; "You can take me off now." it said. 

" _ But you haven't told me what house I'm in! _ " Fareed thought back, confused. 

"Oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

With that, Fareed felt the hat go limp. Not wanting to sit there forever, he lifted the hat off and looked at the four tables trying to find the "most pleased", but he was only met with scattered applause from each. Well, aside from a platinum blonde boy of about 15 who looked as though he might explode with enthusiasm. He was sitting at the front of the far right table. Fareed looked to Madame Hooch and she nodded toward the silver and green table: Slytherin. 

"Well? off you go then!" 

Setting the hat back on the stool, Fareed calmly walked to join the grinning boy.

"Hellow! I'm Scorpius! Scorpius Malfoy!" the blond boy said, offering his hand to Fareed. He noticed for the first time a gleaming letter P on the boy's chest. Scorpius Malfoy was a Prefect. 

"Sit down, Scorpius!" a dark-haired boy hissed from the other side. 

"And that grumpy goose is Albus." Scorpius finished, jabbing a thumb at Albus, then sat down, hand still outstretched to Fareed. 

Fareed Ignored the offered hand, sat down, and turned his attention to the front where there were many first-years left to be sorted. Scorpius's face fell as the boy turned away, not sure if it was something he said. 

"Don't mind, Scorpius," Albus said, pushing Scorpius's hand down, "he can be a bit... energetic." 

Fareed, of course, didn't hear the last remark, but to Albus, it seemed as though he was as thoroughly ignored as Scorpius. "Whos the grumpy goose now, eh?" he muttered to his friend. 

"Oh, don't be like that! He's shy, that's all." Scorpius replied as he turned to watch the sorting.

"How in Merlin's beard are you not a Hufflepuff?" Albus asked jokingly. "Easy, because I'm a Slytherin," Scorpius answered matter of factly. "Now, be quiet, in trying to watch." 

A tall, wiry boy was seated on the stool, the hat already placed on his head, and Fareed recalled the boy's name was Reynolds Anthony, or at least that had been the name next on the parchment after his own. Now he watched as the hat made various facial expressions, the many folds, and creases working as eyebrows, lips, and so forth. After a moment, the hat seemed to come to a decision and shouted something. The boy took off the hat and jogged over to the Gryffindor table, where he was greeted by the tall, smiling figure of a pretty girl.

After the last of the students were sorted and had taken their seats, Madame Hooch picked up the hat and stool, carrying them off. A moment later, she reappeared and took her place at the head table where the other professors were seated. Headmistress McGonigal, who'd been sitting in a giant golden chair, stood and began to address the students. Fareed was too far away to see the headmistress's face clearly enough to understand all she was saying, but he knew that most of the information had been included in the envelope. After a brief warning about out of bounds areas, the headmistress began introducing the various professor seated behind her. The names of the professors and what they would be teaching had been listed in Fareed's envelope, but there had been no reference photo, so he was a bit in the dark when it came to who was who. Glancing over to Madame hooch, who was sitting to the right of McGonigal, he saw her fold what looked to be a paper airplane and watched as she threw it under the table toward him. Fareed watched as the small aircraft made its way toward him, weaving under the tables and past the student's feet. Reaching down, he snatched the piece of paper out of the air as it reached him. The small parchment contained a complete list of the professors and staff from left to right. He recognized many of the names and faces (Nevil Longbottom, Madame Pomfrey, Horace Slughorn, etc...) but others he had never heard of before. For instance, there was a tall willowy woman with long silver hair and fogy grey eyes. According to the piece of parchment, she was Alvar Sage, the potions professor. Ezrah Jones, a curly-haired young man, was head of Hufflepuff house and taught muggle studies. Fareed wasn't surprised, Jones had a dazzling smile and a humerus gleam in his light brown eyes.

" _ Your typical Hufflepuff."  _ he thought. 

The headmistress finished her address, and Fareed folded the paper once more and placed it in his cloak pocket. Before sitting down, Headmistress McGonigal led the school in singing the Hogwarts anthem, and not for the first time, Fareed was glad he couldn't hear it. A moment later, the golden dishes placed on the table magically filled with every food imaginable, fruits, vegetables, pastries, desserts, you name it. " _ Fascinating, _ " Fareed thought as he selected a mango from a gold plater. " _ Must be some sort of transporting spell. Or perhaps an inter-dimensional jinx allowing an object to be in two different places at once until removed. _ " 

After eating their fill, the students around Fareed began talking amongst themselves. He did his best to follow the various conversations in case he was addressed. By observing body language and carefully tracking their lip movements, he was able to somewhat understand the basics of their discussions. Fortunately, the older students didn't seem interested in talking with the first years, preferring to speak with people in their own year. That was fine with Fareed, who despised small talk and saw it as a waste of time. Though he was an excellent lip reader, Fareed found to exhausting trying to follow a conversation and was very selective about when it was worth his time to do so. He didn't particularly enjoy talking in general; it was disconcerting not being able to hear his own voice, so he preferred not to say a word unless necessary. But to his annoyance, the two boys next to him, Scorpius and Albus, decided it would be an excellent idea to strike up a conversation with the "shy" boy. 

"It's Fareed, right?" Scorpius asked good-naturedly, only to be met with a humorless stare. 

"Don't ask stupid questions," Ablus intervened, "you heard the Hooch, didn't you?"

"Well, yes, I was merely trying to start a conversation, mind you." Scorpius answered defensively. 

"Then, don't start it with a useless question." 

"Oh, then you try, seeing as you're the expert apparently." Scorpius huffed. 

"Alright then!" Albus replied, accepting the challenge. "No need to introduce myself, seeing as Scorpius already did," the older boy began confidently, "and... um, well..." Albus trailed off as he was met with a cold stare of his own. 

Scorpius grinned. "Not so easy, is it? Mr. Step-aside-I'm-better-than-you." 

Albus merely shrugged. "I just thought I'd let you have a go at it first." Scorpius scoffed, "Oh, thank you kindly for your generous offer, m'lord!" he said sarcastically. "When starting a conversation, one might begin with a question. Asking for their name, perhaps. But seeing as how we already know that, as you kindly pointed out, we could ask a follow-up query like: Fareed? What an interesting name. What might it mean, do you know?" He paused and waited expectantly. "And that's were the object of conversation would reply..." Scorpius said, waving his hand in a continuous motion. 

Fareed glared but, eager to end the awkward conversation, fixed Scorpius with the most withering look he could muster.

"Alone. It means alone, which is exactly what I wish to be at the moment."


	6. Might Be Wise...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the bully!

After the students were all quite full and sleepy, McGonigal stood and wished them a good night's sleep and a happy term. She dismissed them for bed and informed the many first years that their respective Prefects would see them to their common rooms. 

"That's my cue!" Scorpius said, standing. "First years, first years! This way, please! Now, don't be shy!" 

No one paid the blond boy any attention, and Scorpius was slightly put out when he saw the majority of first years had moved off to follow the older prefects. 

"Give it a rest, mate." Albus said with a sigh, "You can't expect anyone to actually listen to you." Then seeing the hurt look on the other boys face, he added, "Listen, it's your first time, don't feel bad when no one listens." he said reassuringly. "Besides, not all of them left! Look, Fareed's still here, along with them!" Albus gestured to a few stragglers who were getting up to follow the larger group. 

Scorpius grinned, "You're right!" he practically skipped over to the remaining first years. "Right then, follow me please! Just this way, if you will." Fareed groaned inwardly as he realized he had been too late to join the larger group and was still stuck with the grinning blond boy. The other first years were a bit confused but followed obediently.

They made their way in awkward silence, through the castle, and slowly moving toward the dungeons. Fareed tried to memorize every detail, the soot of arms in a corridor, a cracked wall, an eccentric door, anything that might help him navigate the castle. After a while, a blond girl walking next to him decided to try and break the silence. 

"Sooooo," the girl began awkwardly, "what's your name?"

Fareed didn't take any notice of the girl's attempt at conversation and continued walking. The girl, thinking she had been mercilessly ignored, fell back a bit, embarrassed tears springing unbidden to her soft grey eyes. 

_ "Pull yourself together Lizzie, not everyone needs to be your friend." _ Lizzie thought furiously to herself. "But it still would be nice if I had just one..." The lonely girl wiped tears from her eyes as they arrived at a long corridor.

"Right then," Scorpius said, stopping at a seemingly random wall. "Watch closely now." He turned to face the cold stone wall and said something Fareed couldn't see.

" _ And how exactly do you expect us to 'Watch closely now' when you're facing the opposite direction? _ "Fareed thought irritably.

No matter, he'd figure it out some other time. After a moment, a small section of the wall disappeared, revealing a dark dungeon-like room decorated with sculls and lanterns. The windows seemed to look out at an underwater view bathing the room in green light. A few older students were seated in and around comfortable snake-themed armchairs, couches, and tables. "You might have noticed the unusual green light the room is bathed in," Scorpius said as if he were conducting a museum tour. this is because of the common room's unusual location located at the bottom of the castle lake."

" _ Well, that's all fascinating," _ Fareed thought sarcastically, " _ seeing as I haven't the faintest idea what you said! _ " Fareed's attention was turned to a tall boy with dull grey-green eyes walking toward Scorpius, an annoyed look on his face. "What time do you call this?" the boy demanded. "Half-past 12, Loge," Scorpius replied, looking down. "That's Maxim to you!" Maxim spat at Scorpius, who flinched slightly. "S-sorry Maxim," the blond boy muttered, correcting himself. "What was that, Roach?" Roach was the name Maxim had given Scorpius when they first met. The older boy had said that the pitiful thing didn't deserve a name of a strong preditor, and instead gave the cowering boy the name cockroach or roach, a discosting creature whose only use was to be eaten by the scorpions. "Leave him alone," Albus said, stepping forward from behind the first years who were shuffling uncomfortably. Fareed watched with some interest at the exchange between the boys as maxim curled his lip at Albus. "Off to bed Potter, this is the perfect business." 

"So, the dark-haired boy, Albus, is a potter." Fareed mused to himself. "Could be useful to associate my self with him in the future. not now, of course, best to live in the present and plan for the future, which means getting to bed to ensure a productive day tomorrow." Fareed pretended to stifle a yawn, hoping someone would catch on. "it's alright, Albus, maxim's right, I should have had them here sooner," Scorpius saw Fareed stifle a tired yawn, "maxim, can we please finish this in the morning? I was irresponsible, keeping them up too late, and they've had a long day." Maxim looked around at the tired faces of the first years who were still standing uncomfortably outside the common room. The older boys face softened a fraction, "look at what you've done, roach. Look at how late you've kept them, not even letting them in! I don't know what McGonigal thought, allowing you to become a Prefect, you a lousy excuse for a Malfoy." Maxim stepped back and motioned the tired youth into the room, "Come in, come in! Hazel, would you be so kind as to show them to their dorms?" A severe expression olive-skinned girl stood from off a large cushion and beckoned for the first years to follow. "Thank you, dear." Maxim said, then as an afterthought, "Oh, don't forget the potter boy, he seems to have forgotten where his dorm is." The tall girl fixed Albus with almond eyes and tilted her head to one side. There was no question in the movement, merely an invitation to follow but at the same time seemed to demand obedience. Albus made to protest, but Scorpius quickly assured his friend. "Go on, Albus. I'll be right up." The boy's voice squeaked slightly, but the pleading in his eyes urged Albus on. "I'll be waiting for you." The blond boy nodded his thanks, and the small group followed the tall girl up a flight of stairs. Fareed was glad to get to bed, but almost wished he could've stayed to see what happened. " _ After all," _ he reasoned, " _ might be wise to know how punishment was dealt with here. _ "


	7. Hearing Aids

Fareed woke early the next morning eager to get a head start on the day. Sleep was necessary, but over rest was about as useful as a drunken house-elf, sluggish and grumpy. After unpacking his trunk, which had been delivered to the foot of his bed, Fareed left the other boys' snoring forms and made for the common room. Entering the dungeon-like room, Fareed saw he wasn't the only one up and about.

"Well, aren't you the early riser," Maxim said, looking up from the book he had been reading beside the olive-skinned girl from the night before. "its a good habit to make, getting up early." Maxim got up from the couch he was occupying and walked toward Fareed. "But enough small talk. I imagen you want some breakfast, and I have no interest in keeping you from it."

He led Fareed out the common room to the corridor where Fareed had entered from the night before. The Prefect held a piece of paper out to Fareed, but when he made no move to take it, added: "Its the password for today." 

Fareed accepted the piece of parchment and read the small sentence. He frowned slightly, seeing as it was in Latin, then realized it must be what Scorpius had said to get in the night before.

"Once you read it aloud, the words will fade away as an extra security precaution." Maxim explained, "So, best to read it now, make sure you got it, and hand it back." 

Fareed saw the logic in this and obeyed. "Fiat voluntas mea." he read aloud with perfect pronunciation of the Latin word. 

Maxim gave a quick nod, "Good. Now, it's changed every day, so make sure to find Hazel or me tomorrow." He didn't bother telling Fareed that Hazel was the Prefect Maxim had been sitting by. If the boy was confused, then he'd ask for clarification or risk not receiving the next password, and as a result, getting stuck outside.

Fareed handed the now blank piece of parchment back to the Prefect. This mature, collected young man was the polar opposite from the annoyed quick-tempered bully from last night, and Fareed wondered why the sudden change? 

"That's all, now off you go," Maxim said after taking the parchment. "I trust you know the way?" 

Fareed made no response, instead began walking off in the direction of the great hall. Maxim allowed a small smile to touch the corner of his lips. Ordinarily, Prefects were required to escort new students to the Great Hall on their first morning, but the others wouldn't be up for a good hour or so, and he saw no reason to keep the hungry boy waiting. Maxim was pleased with this new addition to Slytherin. The independent boy caught on quickly and didn't waste any time getting what he wanted, which at the moment was breakfast.

Finding Breakfast proved to be more difficult then Fareed thought. To his inconvenience, most landmarks he'd taken the trouble to memorize the night before, had either moved or disappeared entirely. The web of cracks on one wall had been covered by a vast mandala of the night sky, an eccentric door had been replaced with a giant serpent statue. The suit of arms that was posted at the end of a corridor had moved entirely, leaving Fareed completely turned around. Just when he was getting slightly panicked, he stumbled across the very same suit of armor kneeling by a large portrait of a fat lady. They had seemed to be deep in conversation when the picture suddenly swung outward to reveal a small hole, and Fareed watched as a large group of students tumbled out, eager to get to breakfast. He recognized many of them from the night before, including the auburn-haired Andy Griffith. They were all laughing and talking amongst each other, along with a few older students joining in the fun. 

" _ Looks as though I've stumbled upon the Gryffindor entrance, _ " Fareed thought to himself, " _ and on my first day too. _ " 

The fat lady had been very annoyed at the interruption and had reprimanded them soundly. The rowdy group had listened, stone-faced and grim, assuring her they'd be more considerate in the future and, once out of the portraits earshot, burst into laughter.

"Don't you know to knock before opening doors?" Andy said in an over the top impersonation of the bad-tempered canvas. 

Anthony grinned and played along, "Oh, of course, madam!" he responded, the perfect picture of innocence. "I merely assumed you knocked when entering a room, not leaving it." 

Every one sniggered as Andy feigned flustered confusion. 

"Don't make fun," said a tall, dark-haired girl walking beside the wiry boy, Anthony. "It's not funny!" 

Anthony immediately fell silent, shamefaced at the reprimand. 

Andy just flashed another manic smile, "No need to be a buzzkill, Good. Just having some fun, that's all." The tall girl, Good, bristled slightly at being called a buzzkill. 

"But can't you see they were in the middle of something?" she retorted. "I'll say," a tiny elf looking boy sniggered, but jumped back as Anthony made to kick his shin. 

"Oy! No need to be unpleasant, you great giant!" he cried. 

Anthony scowled, "Oh, sorry, I don't usually look down when I walk, pipsqueak." To which, Good elbowed him sharply. "Ouch!" then seeing the hard glare from the tall girl, he mumbled, "Sorry, Diane."

But "Diane" wasn't having it. "Not me! I'm not the one you called a pipsqueak!"

The small boy grinned good-naturedly, "Its alright, miss!" he called, walking backward to look up at the two giants, "I don't mind being smaller than his ego." 

Everyone laughed as Anthony took a sweep at the pest but missed and got punched in the shoulder by Diane. After a moment, they finally entered the Great Hall, Fareed following close behind.

Fareed made his way to the Slytherin table, where the rest of his house was already seated.

" _ So much for getting a head start, _ " Fareed thought spitefully. Maxim caught site of Fareed and made his way over, grinning slightly. 

"What happened to getting breakfast early?" he asked jokingly. 

Fareed glared at the older boy, daring him to go on. 

"Oh, don't be like that, I knew you'd probably lose your way. Everyone does." 

Fareed's glare hardened, " _ So you just let me go blundering around in the dark, did you? _ " 

Maxim fixed him with a hard look of his own, "Don't give me that look. It wasn't my fault you were too impatient to wait for the rest of your house." Maxim said, his face hardening. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to get ahead, being ambitious is what sets us Slytherins apart. But pride is a serious issue. It makes you impatient and overconfident, causing you to get lost. So, you can either suck it up and ask for directions or let your pride get in the way and spend the rest of your life blundering in the darkness like an idiot, understand?" 

Fareed stared hard at the older boy, and though he didn't like it, he new the Prefect was right. Once Maxim was sure the reprimand had hit home, so to speak, he let his features soften, and he gave a small smile. "Besides, getting lost is part of the Hogwarts experience." 

Fareed pondered what Maxim had told him, and seemed to come to a decision. He nodded and gave a small sigh, an extreme show of emotion coming for him. The young man had obviously spoken from hard experience, and Fareed decided it would be wise to be on the Prefects good side. After all, there were indeed things he could learn from an older student's experience. Fareed would give him his respect, for now. "Oh, by the way," Maxim added, hiding a grin with his fist, "I think someone misses their son."

Fareed glared in annoyance. It was highly annoying when people made the ridiculous habit of covering their mouths when speaking, seeing as it obscured his view of the lips preventing him from understanding a word they say. He raised an eyebrow at the older boy, and Maxim realized his mistake. Instead of repeating himself, he nodded toward the table, where a group of chattering students giggled at something flapping energetically in their midst. Fareed inwardly groaned as he realized the mail must've come in his absence, which could only mean one thing. Scratcher had arrived. He rushed over to the huddled group and pushed his way through the small crowd.

Just as he had suspected, there on the table was a small screech owl burdened down with various sized parcels and letters. He looked around at the students' amused faces, more than a few looking less than happy as they nursed small scrapes where Scratcher had, well, scratched them. Finding a bowl of nuts nearby, he selected a brazil nut and offered it to the flustered owl. Scratcher immediately snatched the offering from Fareed and calmed enough for the boy to untie the various packages. After the small owl was free of the cumbersome load, it quickly hopped to the edge of the table and, to the amusement of many students watching, jumped onto Fareed's shoulder. It nipped at his ear expectantly, as if to say, "Go on then, open it up. I didn't carry it all the way here just to be left out of the fun!" Fareed gathered up the parcels and tried to make his way out the tightly packed crowd but was jostled back to the front by the many students. He had no desire to open the parcels in front of a group, seeing as they were most likely filled with sweets and love notes from his parents. To his immense, relife, Maxim told them all to "Give the boy some space," and "leave him be." After escaping from the unwanted attention, he made his way to the back of the table where only a few students were seated: a tear-streaked first year, a bleary-eyed Scorpius, and a fuming Albus. Fareed pretended not to notice the crying girl beside him or the furious Albus across from him as he set his things down and began opening the first letter. 

_ "Dear son, your Father and I hope this letter finds you in good health and want you to know that we are sooo proud of you blah blah blah..."  _ Tossing the letter aside, he opened the corresponding parcel, that was filled with an assortment of his favorite sweets. He'd hoped his parents wouldn't send him foodstuff, as it wasn't in any way useful no matter how much he enjoyed them and felt as though it made him look like a spoiled brat, which he certainly was not! But seeing as it would only make him look even more like a spoiled brat if he threw it away, he tosed a candy nut to Scratcher, stored the package in his satchel, then moved on to the next parcel. Opening the small box, there was a note sitting atop the packing paper. It merely read: Y _ ou seemed to have forgotten something.  _ Fareed frowned, he couldn't think of anything he could've left behind, so he removed the paper curiously. To his utter annoyance, he found the box contained the very hearing aids he'd thrown out the train window as he left platform 9 and 3/4. 

" _ Those things are going to follow me to my grave! _ " Fareed thought angrily. _ "Just when I think I'm rid of them, they pop back up without so much as a scratch on them." _

Sure enough, the small electronics were utterly unharmed. Durable little muggle inventions. Fareed set them down on the table and reached into his satchel, retrieving his wand. Alder with polished east Indian rosewood veins worked into the grain, etched with delict designs neer the bottom. ___ Inches unicorn hair. He pointed the wand at the small gadgets and was about to spell the annoying things when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Jumping slightly, he looked up to see the tall form of the olive-skinned girl he'd seen sitting with Maxim that morning. She looked at him with her large almond eyes then to the wand in his hand then nodded toward the high table where the professors were seated talking amongst themselves.

Fareed followed her gaze and to the High Table and saw that Madame Hooch was watching them closely. Bringing his wand out had drawn the attention of the students sitting nearby as well, and he hurriedly replaced it in his satchel. 

"W-what are those?" the blond girl sitting next to him asked, gesturing to the hearing aids still sitting on the table. 

Fareed grabbed one of the small electronics and shoved it in his satchel, but it was too late. Albus, who seemed to have gotten over his foul mood in the commotion, was curious also. 

"Oh come on, then, let us have a see! They look muggle made, don't they Scorpius?" Albus said, prodding his friend who was staring bleary-eyed at nothing in particular. 

"Huh, what?" 

Albus gestured to the remaining hearing aid on the table. Scorpius's eyes widened in understanding when he saw the small gadget, then looked up at Fareed, who snatched the last aid and tossed it in his bag. Fareed's face was burning as he shoved the remaining parcels and letters in his satchel, then got up and walked off, breakfast forgotten. 

"What's his problem?" Albus said, confused at the boy's reaction. "I was just curious, that's all. What do you reckon they were?" 

Scorpius said nothing as he starred after Fareed. 

"Scorpius?" Albus said, prodding his friend again. 

"He's deaf..." Scorpius mutter to himself. 

"Come again?" Albus said, looking confused. 

"Fareed's deaf! He wasn't ignoring us, he just couldn't hear us!" Scorpius was practically beaming now as he got up and started pacing. 

"Wait, what?" said Albus, thoroughly confused. "Why in Merlin's beard do you think that? Only old wizards go deaf, and I'm pretty sure deaf people can't talk. But Fareed can." 

"You can learn how to speak without hearing, I just imagen its difficult. And who knows, maybe he hasn't always had a hearing impairment. And we only heard him speak once all last night. It cant be very enjoyable talking when you can't hear yourself." Scorpius mused, rubbing his chin. "Well, I suppose. But what makes you say he's deaf?" Albus asked again. "It's like you said, he could just be shy." 

But Scorpius was shaking his head, "No, no, no. It's those gadgets he's got, what were they called?" He kneaded his forehead, trying to think, "We learned about them in muggle studies last year. Professor Jones said muggles who somehow lost their hearing use them as some sort of artificial hearing. Ugh, what were they called?" 

"Hearing aids," said Albus.

"Yes, that's it!" Scorpius said, triumphantly, "Hearing aids. Except they don't work very well for some people, do they? That must be why he'd tried to spell them. But how'd you know? You hardly ever pay attention, and they're only in advanced muggle studies, which you never signed up for."

"Says right here," Albus said, holding up a slip of paper, " _ You _ seemed  _ to have forgotten something. _ " he read.

Scorpius took the piece of paper and flipped it over, reveling more writing. " _ Please try to use them, hearing aids are hard to come by in our world. Love- Father and Mother. _ " 

Albus looked up at Scorpius, who was still grinning. "Alright, so the kid can't hear. Why are you smiling?" 

Scorpius took a seat next to his friend, "Don't you see?" he said excitedly, "It wasn't anything I said, I simply went about it wrong! He's just a first-year like anyone else, which means, as a Prefect, it's my duty to help him adjust to Hogwart's life! I'll have to find a more reliable form of communication, seeing as he doesn't seem to enjoy talking. But he seemed to follow our conversation last night well enough..." 

Scorpius wasn't the only one rethinking their first impression of the boy. Lizzie, who was indeed the tear-streaked girl who'd been sitting by Fareed, had cried herself to sleep that night, having had a very long and lonely day. Not having a friend in the world, she was devastated when she'd been placed in Slytherin, not fathoming what she could've done to deserve this punishment. Things were only made worse by the seeming cold-blooded rejection of the dark-haired boy she'd tried to befriend. Still, she realized that the boy simply hadn't heard her the night before, and she contemplated talking to him again. 

" _ After all, _ " she thought glumly, " _ a friend who doesn't listen is better than no friend at all. _ " Plucking up her courage Lizzie got up and headed in the direction Fareed had gone.


	8. Wingardium Leviosa!

Fareed gently tossed his satchel to the ground, then turned around, slid his back down the rough wall outside the great hall, and came to a rest sighing. He had poorly reacted he knew, the girl hadn't meant any harm, and the hearing aids weren't a big deal, but he still couldn't see why people had to go looking over other shoulders. He reached over and grabbed his satchel and stuck his hand inside. 

"Looking for this?" 

Fareed saw a pair of feet in front of him and looked up to see the blond girl hed just been sitting next to. She was holding out an envelope, and Fareed excepted the parchment not saying a word. It was the schedule for the week, and Fareed had indeed been looking for it. He must have dropped it in his rush get out of the hall. 

"You-you're welcome."

The girl was still there. Fareed looked up again, an irritated look on his face. 

"Er, I'm Lizzie, Lizzie Wunderberker. The W is pronounced like a V, but I guess that doesn't really matter since you..." she trailed off awkwardly. "I, uh, introduced myself last night, but you didn't seem to hear, er, notice me." She rushed on, turning pink. 

Fareed said nothing and turned back to the paper, unfolding it and pretending to read, wishing the pair of feet in front of him to walk away. Lizzie shuffled uncomfortably and was about to try again when she was carried away by a sudden rush of students as they all hurried to get to class. Seeing the rush of feet, Fareed stood up, grabbed his things, and barely had time to glance down at his schedule. 

First up was charms with Professor Flitwick and the Ravenclaws. He followed a large group of Slytherin first years, making there way past him to a large classroom where a very short wizard waited for them. Fareed waited behind a bit letting the other students rush into the room before stepping in himself and approached the tiny professor. 

"You must be Fareed," the small man squeaked. Fareed said nothing, but the little man continued, "Wonderful! You can take a seat right over there near the front so you can see properly." 

Fareed glanced in the direction the professor indicated and saw a chair and desk with a large fluffy feather placed atop it just like all the others. He couldn't help but notice that none of the students seemed interested in sitting there, though it was entirely available. Some also went so far as to argue over a seat right next to it.

"Ah, you've noticed that no one else has, well, noticed," Flitwick said, a small smile playing across his lips. "I didn't want anyone stealing your seat, now did I, so I might have placed a little charm on it." He admitted not at all sounding guilty. "You might even learn to do something similar one of these days. But enough of that, you'll find a parchment on your desk that'll have everything you need to know to participate. Feel free to ask any questions after class, my office is always open to anyone looking for advice, alright?" the professor informed him. "Well, it looks as though we're all set." 

And with that, the little man hopped up onto a stool, and Fareed walked quickly to his seat. 

As promised, Fareed found a sheet of parchment waiting for him on the chair and saw it contained the complete lesson along with some clarifying notes. They were to learn a levitation spell, Wingardium Leviosa, __ and Professor Flitwick was currently demonstrating how to properly wave their wands to execute the charm. 

"Swish and flick!" the tiny wizard squeaked, "That's it, Daniel! Make sure to keep your wrist relaxed right till the last moment, Lizzie!" and so forth. Once satisfied, the professor had them add the wording. 

"Now, the pronunciation is essential to understand. Listen carefully, then repeat after me. Wingardium Leviosa!" 

There was a chorus of Wingardium's, and Flitwick nodded his approval. "Good, now put it all together like so: Wingardium Leviosa!" The room gasped as the fluffy white feather gently lifted off the table. "Now, you try." 

The students all began swishing and flicking wildly. And the professor chuckled as a few feathers caught fire. 

"My, my! Firecrackers arent till next term!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands. "If the object of the lesson was too catch fire to your feather, you'd all earn a gold star!" he said jokingly. "Now, don't be too put out if you can't get it right away. This charm doesn't come till later, I just thought it might be fun to get right into it. Let's try once more, just for giggles, then move on, alright?" 

Fareed focused on the white feather before him and muttered a Leviosa of his own, but the feather barely trembled. Something caught the corner of his eye, and he glanced at his parchment sheet to find spindly letters forming words on a blank space near the bottom of the paper. " _ Speak up, Fareed." _ it read,  _ "Charms are all about being sharp and precise." _ He looked up to the professor standing atop his pile of books. The wizard gave a tiny wink, and Fareed looked back to the paper.  _ "One mustn't be shy about these things." _ Fareed stared hard at the feather before him, _ "I'm not being shy," _ he thought irritably,  _ "but I'm not about to go shouting nonsense at the top of my voice." _

Pointing his wand at the feather once more, he concentrated furiously, willing the magic in his veins to flow outward to his fingertips then seamlessly out his wand as he swished and flicked. " _ WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA! _ " he thought, and the feather leaped from the table and soared right into professor Flitwick's fuzzy white hair. There was a stunned silence as the tiny man merely stood there wide-eyed, then burst into delighted applause. 

"Well done, Fareed, well done!" 

The rest of the classroom joined in and clapped loudly as the tiny man hopped from the stool and made his way to Fareed's desk pulling the runaway feather from the hair. 

"You didn't peep a sound, did you?" the professor asked quietly. 

Fareed shook his head, his cheeks burning, "No sir," he replied softly, silently pleased with himself. 

"Ah, there's your voice," the tiny wizard chuckled, shaking his head as he returned the feather to Fareed. "I do believe you've just cast your first, no, your year's first nonverbal spell." he said in wonder.

"That is something to be very proud of, my boy, very proud of indeed."


End file.
